Helene Dillard was appointed dean of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at the University of California, Davis. She has been serving as associate dean and director of the Cooperative Extension program at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. She will take on her new role on January 27.
In announcing the appointment, Linda P.B. Katehi, chancellor of the University of California at Davis, stated, “Helene Dillard is both an accomplished scientist and a highly skilled administrator. She has been a strong supporter of fundamental research and, through her own educational and research efforts, has demonstrated a commitment to solving practical societal problems, especially through Cooperative Extension and its service to agriculture, the environmental community and the general public.”
Professor Dillard is excited about taking on her new role at the University of California, Davis. She said, “Renowned for excellence in cutting-edge research, and innovative teaching and outreach, UC Davis faculty, staff and students lead the way in initiatives that address the key societal challenges inherent in issues of food production and food security, sustainable and healthy living, climate change and environmental stewardship. I am excited to build upon this legacy as well as foster continuing and further collaborations that develop solutions to the grand challenges and opportunities that we, as a global community, face.”
Dr. Dillard is a native Californian and graduated from the University of California at Berkeley. She holds a master’s degree in soil science and a Ph.D. in plant pathology from the University of California, Davis. She joined the Cornell University faculty in 1984. Her research focuses on fungal diseases in vegetable crops.
